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NRTA Holds Media Seminar for Global South Journalists in Beijing

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African journalists from seven Belt and Road countries participated in a two-week new media training seminar in Beijing from October 17-30, 2025, organized by China’s National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局), a ministry-level agency controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department. Media professionals from The Gambia, Barbados, Panama, Jordan, Botswana, Turkey, and Nigeria attended sessions covering international communication, digital platform trends, content development, and intellectual property creation. An official from the NRTA’s International Cooperation Department opened the seminar by outlining Chinese cultural values and governance philosophy, emphasizing the growing influence of new media on public opinion, according to The Point. Participants also visited the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall and explored topics such as the current digital media environment.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The event was organized by the Research Training Institute under the NRTA.

European University Cyprus

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The European University Cyprus (Ευρωπαϊκό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου), or EUC, is a private research university founded in 1961, with campuses in Cyprus and Germany. The university has seven faculties, including Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Sciences, Business, Law, and Humanities.  Since 2015, EUC has been a member of the World University Alliance for the Belt and Road Initiative, a China-led global alliance involving more than 170 universities — an academic extension of China’s signature BRI.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

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The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), established in 1925, operates 11 faculties and 41 schools offering programs in medicine, engineering, sciences, humanities, and law. In December 2018, AUTh established a Confucius Institute in partnership with Shanghai International Studies University (上海外國語大學), with the stated goal of “promoting Chinese language teaching and cultural exchange.” The university maintains 188 international cooperation agreements spanning Europe, the Balkans, Russia, North America, and the Far East.

University of Central Lancashire Cyprus

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The University of Central Lancashire Cyprus, or UCLan Cyprus, was the first international branch campus of the University of Central Lancashire, UK, established in 2012 in the southeastern city of Pyla. The campus operates as both a branch campus of the University of Central Lancashire and a fully licensed university in Cyprus. Students graduating from UCLan Cyprus receive a double degree from both UCLan Cyprus and UCLan UK. The university offers programs across its Schools of Business, Law, Sciences, Arts, and Media and Communication. UCLan Cyprus held its first forum on the Belt and Road Initiative in 2019. 

Xinhua Silk Road Information Service

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Xinhua Silk Road (新华丝路网) advertises itself as a comprehensive information service platform focused on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, operated since 2015 by the China Economic Information Service (中国经济信息社有限公司), or CEIS, under Xinhua News Agency. The platform positions itself as providing databases, information consulting, think tank research, and international communication services to Belt and Road participants. Key products and services include a multilingual Belt and Road database, a global project opportunities and risk analysis system, an overseas brand voice monitoring system for Chinese companies, international business coordination services, and Xinhua enterprise information services (pointing to the expansion of state media content distribution globally). Xinhua Silk Road also manages the construction and maintenance of the official website of the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative (中国一带一路网), directly linking it to the highest levels of Chinese government Belt and Road coordination. In July 2023, coinciding with the platform’s eighth anniversary, Xinhua Silk Road launched a “Belt and Road Project Case Database” tracking over 500 key Belt and Road projects across seven sectors including infrastructure, industrial investment, industrial park development, financial cooperation, energy resources, logistics, and cultural exchange. The database features exclusive research reports on state-owned enterprise and private enterprise participation in Belt and Road projects compiled in cooperation with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission Research Center, revealing close coordination between the platform and China’s economic planning apparatus.

Home in Cyprus

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Home in Cyprus (塞島家園) is a Chinese-language media platform and information service operating in Cyprus that presents itself as an independent community resource for Chinese residents and investors, describing itself as “Cyprus’s most professional Chinese media,” “the most active Chinese information hub,” and “the largest and warmest Chinese community.” The platform claims to provide comprehensive information including Cyprus news, tourism services, financial and legal services, property information, and visa processing, positioning itself as a “shared mutual assistance platform” for Chinese people in Cyprus. However, an investigation by Lingua Sinica has determined that Home in Cyprus is linked to the Chinese Embassy in Cyprus and operates under the Chinese and Cypriots Friendship Promotion Association (中塞友好促進會), or CCFPA, which presents itself as a nongovernmental organization fostering business collaboration between China and Cyprus but functions as an embassy front organization. Home in Cyprus operates through the WeChat account “hcyprus” and is managed by Youlu Wuhan Business Co., Ltd. (優路武漢商務有限公司), a commercial services company established in 2013 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, whose business scope includes immigration intermediary services, study abroad consulting, and tourism services. A user agreement for the platform hosted on the CCFPA website indicates stringent registration and security requirements that suggest it may serve dual purposes as both an information service and surveillance tool used by the embassy to monitor the Chinese diaspora in Cyprus, consistent with United Front Work Department strategies for managing overseas Chinese communities.

Union of Cyprus Journalists

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The Union of Cyprus Journalists (Ένωση Συντακτών Κύπρου), or UCJ, is Cyprus’ independent trade union association for journalists, established on April 8, 1959. The organization aims to safeguard press freedom, defend journalists’ rights and independence, improve employment conditions — including a call in 2024 for decent salaries and better working conditions — and enhance professional standards. UCJ is a member of the European Federation of Journalists.

Cyprus University of Technology

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The Cyprus University of Technology (Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου), also known as CUT, is a public research institution established in 2004 in Limassol, Cyprus. The university comprises six faculties and 13 academic departments offering undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering, management, health sciences, and applied arts. In October 2024, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides visited the Confucius Institute at CUT, where, according to the Chinese embassy, he “emphasized the importance of deepening cultural and educational ties between Cyprus and China.” The Confucius Institute at CUT was established in collaboration with Hangzhou Electrical Science and Technology University (杭州電子科技大學) in June 2023 to promote the study of the Chinese language and culture, fostering cross-cultural understanding and academic exchanges.

University of Cyprus

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The University of Cyprus (Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου), or UCY, is a public university established in 1989, with its main campus located in Nicosia. The university hosts eight faculties and 22 departments and operates a Confucius Institute, which was opened in 2014. According to Chinese media, the university co-hosted the 2nd China-Cyprus Youth Forum in Nicosia in October 2023, with themes including “Promoting Sustainable Development for a Green Future” and “Promoting Traditional Cultures to Address Current Challenges,” both themes with echoes of official Chinese policy language.